Most Responsive – Your New Customers

These customers have already successfully gone through your sales cycle and have become your customers.

You have already proven your value to them with the small initial project. Usually, there will be a follow-up project: a systems upgrade, network rollout, or something similar.

At this juncture, you want to ask prospects if they've given much thought to how they would like support handled on an ongoing basis. If they ask for your recommendations, that’s when you talk about your case studies. Be sure to mention the great things you do for other similar small business clients of your network consultant firm.

Second Most Responsive – Your Existing Qualified Prospects and Leads

Qualified prospects and leads are your next most responsive group. They match what is desirable to you in terms of geography, size, platform, and industry. Plus, you have already qualified the client as being worth your time.

Once these prospects and leads are qualified, your next move is to set an initial meeting to talk about their problems, ask open-ended questions, and take many notes. That meeting will test whether the mindsets and personalities mesh well together and whether the chemistry is strong enough to take the next logical step: a small initial proving ground project.

Third Most Responsive – Your Customers Who Have Been with You for 5+ Years

Based on your new marketing plan, after you have transformed your annual revenue to the point that the majority of your service revenue is from new customers with IT service contracts, it’s time to go back to your old clients who were grandfathered in (clients who have been with your company for over 5 years) and plant the seeds.

Tell them about this new arrangement with your new clients, how well it’s working out, and the glowing case studies that result.

You have to approach your long-time clients from a position of strength. More than likely, you’re going to need to give them a deadline or an ultimatum. In order for this strategy to be effective, you want to present this message at a point where you can afford to lose these clients.

What IT marketing strategy has been most successful for your network consultant firm? Where do you find more of your new contract clients? Please share your tips in the comments section below.

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The Computer Consulting Business Tips blog covers best practices for owning and operating a successful computer consulting ...
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The Computer Consulting Business Tips blog covers best practices for owning and operating a successful computer consulting business. Topics include attracting clients, managing the sales process, engaging with new customers, project management, support agreements, partnering, and subcontracting.
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